Dynamic and strategic role focussed on study management across Sustaining Capital’s strategically prioritised non-process infrastructure capital programs
Permanent employment which includes attractive salary, annual bonuses and a huge range of additional benefits
Help demonstrate our values of care, courage and curiosity
Tremendous opportunity to join a global organisation at the forefront of mining
About the role
Finding better ways™ to provide the materials the world needs.
We are looking for a Study Lead to scope and conduct comprehensive studies through all study stages to assess the technical, economic, and environmental viability of proposed capital projects to sustain and improve mining operations.
The Study Lead will be expected to effectively interact with internal and external stakeholders across our business at a divisional level and our engineering partners. They will form relationships with multiple divisions supported by Sustaining Capital and as a by-product this role will attract a broad business exposure, strategic project delivery and focus on capital efficiencies.
We are an open, connected global team that includes some of the industry’s best and brightest minds. We offer competitive, performance-focused remuneration and a wide range of benefits to reward your contribution. With a global reach, the opportunities to develop and grow your career are broad and exciting.
Reporting to the Principal Programs and working in a diverse team within the Non-process Infrastructure team you will be responsible for:
Study management: Project manage the execution of Order of Magnitude (OoM), Pre Feasibility Study (PFS), and Feasibility Study (FS) phases as per the project management framework. Being accountable for the full project life cycle and study deliverable.
Planning: Work with the project delivery team to develop and implement Study scope, estimates and plans in accordance with the business and regulatory and study definition guidelines and manage the transition of studies from FS to implementation.
Stakeholder engagement: Collaborate with the team to develop and implement an effective stakeholder engagement plan through the life of the Study.
Engineering deliverables: Partner with the engineering team who will manage and deliver the engineering deliverables for the Study.
Funding: Prepare funding requests and capital expenditure approvals and develop robust business cases for project funding.
Analysis: Conduct financial analysis, including cost estimates, cash flow projections, and economic evaluations.
Schedule, budget and risk management: Manage the Study schedule, budget and risk register, providing updates on changes or impacts to the works.
Lessons learned: Coordinate lessons learned across the project lifecycle ensuring effective communication of successes and proposed improvements.
What you’ll bring
A commitment to the safety of yourself and your team.
Strong project and design management skills to oversee and manage the execution of study phases (OoM, PFS, FS).
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to coordinate and manage relationships with various internal and external stakeholders.
Proficiency in engineering principles, design standards, and technical specifications relevant to the mining industry.
Expertise in managing study budgets and ensuring cost effective execution within approved funding.
Strong strategic and analytical skills in order to align study objectives with overall strategic goals.
What we offer
Be recognised for your contribution, your thinking and your hard work, and go home knowing you’ve helped the world progress.
A work environment where safety is always the number one priority
A permanent position working directly for Rio Tinto
A competitive base salary reflective of your skills and experience with annual incentive program
Comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family
Attractive share ownership plan
Company provided insurance cover
Extensive salary sacrifice & salary packaging options
Career development & education assistance to further your technical or leadership ambitions
Ongoing access to family-friendly health and medical wellbeing support
Leave for all of life’s reasons (vacation/annual, paid parental, sick leave)
Exclusive employee discounts (banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more)
Possible domestic relocation assistance
Where you’ll be working
This role is based in Perth CBD with occasional travel to site.
We operate 200 locomotives on nearly 2,000 kilometres of track in the Pilbara, transporting ore from 17 mines to four port terminals. The average return distance of these trains is about 800 kilometres with the average journey cycle, including loading and dumping, taking approximately 40 hours.
Our network is the largest privately owned and operated heavy haul rail system in Australia, and as we focus on the future, our vision is to become the greatest heavy haul railway in the world.
Applications close on Friday the 21st of August 2025 (Rio Tinto reserves the right to remove advertised roles prior to this date)
About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminium, critical minerals, and other materials needed for the global energy transition and for people, communities, and nations to thrive.
We have been mining for 150 years and operate with knowledge built up across generations and continents. Our purpose is finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs – striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce materials with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. But we can’t do it on our own, so we’re focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win situations and meet opportunities.
Every Voice Matters
At Rio Tinto, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, the LGBTI+ community, mature workers, people with disabilities and people from different cultural backgrounds.
We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable to be themselves. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard, all cultures respected and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome – they are essential to our success. We treat each other fairly and with dignity regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or anything else that makes us different.